Piper PA-28-140 accident near Manassas, Virginia, June 22, 2022
On June 22, 2022 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA-28-140, registered N6599W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Manassas, Virginia (Manassas Rgnl/Harry P Davis Fl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent nose landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2022 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Manassas, Virginia · Manassas Rgnl/Harry P Davis Fl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140, built 1965 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6599W · no longer on the register · serial 28-20690
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing the airplane and during the landing flare the airplane bounced twice before the nose landing gear collapsed. This resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the firewall. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23.7 hours in all; 23.7 in this make and model; 23.7 in the last 90 days; 11.3 in the last 30 days; 2.4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,603 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 20, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 1,483 hours total
- Operator: Commonwealth Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34L, 6,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.74 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from KHEF
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHEF 211456Z 21004KT 10SM CLR 31/25 A2974
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Summary of Email - Pilot Statement to FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.